'Hate on the Doorstep' Council estates, don't go to them

[-Orgasmatron-]

I don't know how many of you saw Panorama's documentary last night about in which two Asian reporters lived undercover in Southmead, Bristol, but it was pretty much what I expected. If you missed it, it's all here on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqcScFprLYU Part 1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6OLRi90xO0 Part 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQLrrarlNfE Part 3

Now, I say it was exactly what I expected, but if you're not from Britain or have never been around parts like that, you might be suprised. I also knew what to expect because it was filmed 5 minutes down the road from me.

The thing about it is though, while I'm sure we can all agree it's messed up and I'm glad people are finally shinning a light on that sort of thing, the only people shinning a light on it are the ethnic minoritys. Now it looks like the problem is just some ignorant racism by some very, very backwards people, but I'm white and British and I have got everything you've seen there walking down my street, when I go out I'll always try and get someone to gimme a lift to outside my area because I can not walk through it, did I mention I'm white and British?

So yea, I think it's good a light is being shon on it, but I could take a camera and get the exact same results myself, just replace the word 'Paki' with something else. While the attacks on that film were certainly racially driven, she could off been a ginger white person, or any type of person who isn't just like the culprits. (I'm not ginger by the way, no, for me they like to go with 'Jitter' and 'Mosher' as their substitute for 'Paki' of choice, which is especially perplexing when I'm wearing a Nas shirt)

So what are your opinions on the documentary? Were you suprised? Or was it pretty much what you expected? Is your area like this? Have you ever been victim to that sort of stuff?

I also really want some American opinions in here, I don't think most Americans ever get to see that side of Britain, so what does that make you feel?

EDIT: Just been reading a couple of articles about this documentary, seems the majority of people asked about it, including police and the head of the City Council are saying 'it's not that bad' and that this behaviour is rare.

Sorry, what? I can tell you from experience that it ain't rare, but you don't need to take my word for it, in the 8 weeks they lived there they got abused around 50 times, that's almost an average of once a day, if that's no big deal, then what is their idea of a real problem?

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/homepage/Bristol-residents-anger-BBC-Panorama-documentary-branding-Southmead-racist/article-1435749-detail/article.html

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

What can I say? Welcome to Britain. It's full of arseholes.
I seriously hate most of the people of Britain... can't wait to relocate again...

EDIT: It truly sickens me that they dare call themselves British. (I mean the racist currs)

 

[similar.squirrel]

..Woah.
No. Never anything as bad as this. There's is a rough estate or two nearby, but attacks are never racially-driven. This is quite disturbing.

 

[Worgen]

Thats pretty messed up, I always thought britain was better then that.

 

[Thisbedutch]

We have our bad patches, and when they're bad they're bad. I live near Winsford and that's pretty dire :/

 

[Nmil-ek]

My familys originaly from estate I have it well hammered into me from my old man how bad it gets that show barley scratched the surface, but really your all viewing this from the wrong angle. Do you have any idea how hopless it is to be born in an area like that? Alot of those kids have either shattered homes or have grown up facing more than hopefully most people here will ever know ignorant parents. dealers and the other assorted scum are the reason we have this shitty youth culture.

 

[TheMatt]

That's pretty fucked up.. but like you all have said, there are some bad places in Canada too...

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

My familys originaly from estate I have it well hammered into me from my old man how bad it gets that show barley scratched the surface, but really your all viewing this from the wrong angle. Do you have any idea how hopless it is to be born in an area like that? Alot of those kids have either shattered homes or have grown up facing more than hopefully most people here will ever know ignorant parents. dealers and the other assorted scum are the reason we have this shitty youth culture.

Without a doubt, for further reading on that topic you can see this post by me...

Spoiler: Post from thread about 1st world Poverty a few weeks back

I'm speaking from a council estate in England here and here's my view on the whole thing.

When people talk about poverty here people are talking about the working class and underclass. Now, while what you said about everyone having running water, electricity, ect is correct, I think that the main 'poverty' problem here is with the infrastructure of the places people in 'poverty' in the UK have no choice but to live in.

There is no reason for anyone to want to visit my neighbourhood (besides to score some drugs), so there is about 2 bus routes to services the population of about 2,500 people. Now, consider that most of the parents here can't(don't want to) find work, it means that when it comes to buying groceries they can not visit Tesco and purchase decent quality food at affordable prices, they have to visit the local corner shop in which everything is naturally much higher priced, what with it being a small most likely family run shop, which means they have to buy extremely poor quality food for their children to eat, which will lead to health problems, trouble concetraiting in school and slowed development.

Now, as I said previously, it is very true that a number of people on benefits just don't want to find work, the reason being is that in a place where there is only 2 bus routes it really is alot of effort for them to get a job without owning a car, especially when you also consider that they are trying to raise kids (alot of them as single parents) along with it. The reason it is so hard for them to find work without a car is due to the fact that there is no supermarkets/factorys/fast food joints/complexs within an easy walking distance for them to work at, and as mentioned before, the buses in this place are terrible.

Now, you may think, well that's their own fault, they didn't try hard enough and aren't putting enough effort in. But if you actually want to make progress these people need to be helped along for their childrens sake, because it is a vicious circle that I think sped up tenfold thanks to the help of Maggie Thatcher. The circle goes like this...

Parents sit at home doing drugs infront of the telly all day collecting benefits

Parents then struggle to be beneficial to their kids

Kids become unhappy due to their fucked up home life

Kids do worse at school due to this

Kids can't get into college or uni due to messing up their school life, so crushing any slight hopes they might have had

Kids become adults, have kids of their own, and believe like their parents, that it is acceptable for them to sit at home collecting benefits and wasting away

Rinse and repeat

I've seen it happen. It's really a problem worth sorting out, because all of it leads to more crime and unhappiness.

So I'll summrise it this way, to anwser your original question about poverty in the first world - It's not so much that we need to give the working class and underclass money, it's not the poverty of money that is the problem, it's the poverty of hope and society in these communities. I mean, what else can someone be when all that's around them is negativity?

One more thing, I know it's not impossible to escape the circle, I certainly know some that have come from the most messed up homes and escaped, but it's not easy and the majority of people just aren't strong enough to overcome that sort of thing.

I hope that makes sense and reads smoothly enough, also I hope someone actually does read it.

That's a whole different kettle of fish though, and that arguement can go on for days, so I'd rather keep it out of this thread. That said, it's certainly an interesting topicand I'd be glad to discuss it with you at some point, this thread isn't the time for that though.

 

[TheMatt]

I think it is fucking awesome that they post the names and faces of these assholes. Will there be any fall out from this? like, charges laid and so on?

Can any brits add me and keep me posted? i am VERY interested to see what happens.

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

I think it is fucking awesome that they post the names and faces of these assholes. Will there be any fall out from this? like, charges laid and so on?

Can any brits add me and keep me posted? i am VERY interested to see what happens.

That young kid who threatened her with a gun/knife/brick and the girl who was throwing glass have both been put into some family help scheme, that's all so far as far as I know, I'll keep you posted though.

 

[Ironic]

It's no different from the rest of the world.

As you can see, my faith in humanity is < 0

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

It's true that not everyone is like that here, but in some areas it truly is a mess. I live in a decent area in Leeds, in Yorkshire (5th most robbable area in the country, because we're surrounded by shitty areas), and the only problem I ever get here is from chavs driving past in their tiny cars who think long hair is "gay" (though I've since had a haircut). I'd be much happier if we banned hoodies, tracksuits and, to be honest, nylon clothing.

Perhaps then if I get mugged I am mugged by fashionable-looking people.

I am very much unsure of how to fix this, but perhaps bridging the gap between the rich and the poor would be an excellent start.

 

[Booze Zombie]

Every country has places with inbred fuckwits.

Britain is no exception.

 

[Deschain]

Glasgow's pretty bad for this sort of stuff too. It's quite scary when you see it.

 

[-Orgasmatron-]

Did they do a version in Scotland?

Cause several people have been murdered next to my gran and its filled with two-bit deadbeats.

There are some awesome documentarys about council estates in Scotland on Current.com, I couldn't imagine living there, as bad as it here I'm just thankful I don't live up in a bad part of Glasgow.

Found one of the Glasgow documentaries for you, it's a different thing, no really about racism, but it shows the same type of attitude and people as in the above documentary.

http://current.com/items/88245211_deadly-glasgow-teens.htm

 

[Abedeus]

This makes me regret there is no license for killing.

Killing those racists bastards. And I'm not exaggerating - scum like this doesn't deserve to breathe our air.

edit: Btw, can you hear the accent of that reporter lady? It's British as hell, for God's sake. Suddenly racism is okay even against someone born in their own country? God...

 

[Amnestic]

Every country has places with inbred fuckwits.

Britain is no exception.

Sad, but true. You would have thought with over 2000 years of immigration to Britain, we'd have got over the fact that not everyone is from the same place.